Container tray for fruit units



June 8, 1954 J. E. MURPHY ETAL 2,680,513 CONTAINER TRAY FOR FRUIT UNITS Filed May 23, 1952 INVENTOR. JOSEPH MURPHY Y MURR/IY SCH/WILL irromv sy Patented June 8, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,680,513 CONTAINER TRAY FOR FRUIT UNITS Joseph E. Murphy,

Schnall, Brooklyn, N. Y Brookly Package Corp., of New York Application May 23, 1952,

Hicksvilie, and assignors to n, N. Y., a corporation Murray See-Qua! Serial No. 289,596

3 Claims. (Cl. 206-4533) This invention relates to containers, more particularly to wrapped fruit trays of the category described in our prior patent application filed April 25, 1952, Serial No. 284,363.

It is within our contemplation to provide a for housing a row of fruit units, of

and base portions are provided which, abling substantial portions of the fruit units to be seen at the bottom and sides of the tray, give no It is accordingly one of the objects of our invention to lighten the end walls of the said form of tray by package at the ends thereof.

In certain widely employed Wrapping machines (for enrobing filled trays with transparent wrapping sheets), there are strategically located triggers which are so constructed as to be engageable by flat portions of the tray bases, the actuation of these triggers determining the size of wrapping sheet delivered to the machine. In the forms of the invention shown in our said prior application, only the bottoms of the end walls are fiat, so that the trays are not generally adapted for use with said wrapping machines. It is our objective to widen the use of our invention so as to make the trays thereof, in their various forms,

iii

2 adaptable for use with the chine above mentioned; and

bases of conventional containers.

Other objects, features and advantages will appear from the drawings and the description hereinafter given.

Referring to the drawings,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the tray of our invention.

Figure 2 is a top view thereof.

line 4-4, place, and

Figure 5 is an end view substantially like Figure 3, but showing the tray operatively enrobed by a wrapping sheet.

In the form of our invention illustrated, the container tray i5 is a unitary moulded structure preferably of plastic material. It is adapted to contain therein a row of fruit units, like the tomato is illustrated in Fig; 4, the tray, in the parent wrapping sheet i"! folded to'foi'm overlapping end flaps i8 and I9 disposed against the respective outer surfaces of upwardly extending end walls to and 2!. connected by a pair of parallel longitudinal laterally opposite upper rails 22 and 23, and by another pair of correspondingly extending base rails 2i and 25, respectively. The rails 22 and 24 on one side of the tray support a row of spaced pads The said end walls are 26, and the rails 23 and on the other side of the tray support another row of correspondingly spaced and positioned pads 21. The base rails 24 and 25 are connected, preferably at their medial portions, by the transverse base bar 28 which serves not only as a reinforcing strut to add rigiditytc the base rails 2d and 25 and consequent stability to the members supported thereby, but also to cooperate with said rails 2d and 25 in their functions as bases for the tray and as actuators of the wrapping machine triggers above referred to. The components of the tray are all integral with the structure thereof, and are preferably of greater stiffness than the components of conventional cardboard trays.

The said pads 25 and 2! serve as seats for the fruit units operatively disposedin the tray and, in the form illustrated, are slightly hollowed-out substantially circular discs, transverse sections of said discs being preferably of curved con figuration presenting concave surfaces 29 facing the interior of the tray. The said pads 25 and 21 extend downwardly and inwardly from their respective top rails 22 and 23, and are supported by the respective underlying base rails 2-4 and 25 which are disposed laterally outwardly with reference to the respective innermost ends 38 and 31 of the pads. Ihe arrangement is such that said ends 3% and 3! are in spaced re lation, the lowermost edges 32 and 83 of the upper surfaces of said pads being spaced above the bases 35 and 3% of the respective end walls 29 and 2|, it being preferred though not neces sary that the entire edge portions so and 3! oi each of the pads be at a level above the said bases 35 and at, thereby providing spaces 3'; se arating the fruit supporting pads from the support 38 upon which the tray rests, in this way keeping the fruit out of engagement with said supportand thus not subject to damage by contact therewith.

The said base rails 24 and 25 each comprises a wall 39 inclined laterally so as-to extend in a direction substantially normal to the general transverse extent of the overlying pads (see Fig. 4), thereby giving maximum support to the pads. The base 36 of each of said walls 39 is substantially at the level of the bases v3E5 and 38 of the end walls, said last-mentioned bases being in a singleplane.

Each of the said end walls has two opposite lower side edges 4! and A2 diverging upwardly from the respective bases of said end walls to the respective intermediate outermost portions l3 and st thereof, wherefroin the two upper side edges and 4-3, respectively, converge upwardly to meet the upper edge of the end wall, such as edge 4- The arrangement is hence such that the lower and upper corners, d3 49 and 58, 5!, respectively, most portions 43 and 44, thereby enabling the wrapping to follow generally the lateral contour of the fruit in the container, for spaceeconomical and effective packing. The effectiveness of the packing is further enhanced by having the upper supporting rails 22 and 23 disposed substantially at the level of said outermost portions 43 and lie of the end walls, whereby said upper rails serve to support the fruit at the region of maximum width of said end walls.

Each of the end walls is provided, in the preferred form illustrated, with four apertures 52, 53, 54 and apertures 52 and 53 being of substantially similar configuration and being disposed at the upper portion of the wall, aperare disposed inwardly of said outernot only is there a tures 54 and 55 also being alike but being disposed at the lower portion of the wall, preferably at regions not below the level of the pads 26 and 21. The said apertures are so arranged as to provide a solid central portion 55, and marginal portion 51 disposed between the perimeter of the wall and the outermost portions of the said apertures, and connecting portions between said central portion 56 and said marginal portion 51. Two of these connecting portions 58 and 59 extend in downwardly and outwardly directions, thereby constituting inclined structural arms extending generally in the direction of arrows A and B. It is preferred that said arms 58 and 59 extend towards the respective upper portions at and iii of the correspondingly positioned pads 26 and 2?, directions A and B being substantially normal to the general transverse extent of said upper portions 60 and iii. The arrangement is hence such that these arms 58 and 59 will aid in resisting any outward movement of the upper rails 22 and 23 due to pressures applied by or through'the fruit supported by the pads. In other words, any outward pressure applied against the upper portions of the pads would tend to causea pivotal outward movement of the upper portions of the pads about the base rails 21% and 25, thereby causing a corresponding outward movement of the upper rails 2?. and 23. Since the upper rails are connected to the end walls 25 and 21, the said arms 5% and 53 will serve to resist such movement, since the arms are located, as aforesaid, in the region of said upper portion of the pads. Hence, although the end walls contain apertures 52, 53, 5t and 55, they are nevertheless provided with structural means adequately to support the upper rails 22 and 23.

The said apertures are, as above set forth, effective in reducing the weight, and consequently the cost, of the device. Furthermore, in the event the end walls are made of opaque material, the apertures provide end visibility. It is accordingly obvious that with this construction,

firm support for the fruit contained therein, but there is also visibility through the ends of the tray, as well as at the sides and bottom of the tray because of the spaced arrangement of pad seats 26 and 21.

The solid central wall 56 constituting part of each of said end walls serves as a backing for effecting the sealing of the two overlapping flaps l8 and Hi. In other words, when said flaps are folded into the position shown in Figure 5, a sealing pressure is applied against said overlapping portions in known manner; and since these portions are backed by the solid wall 56, there is adequate provision for the required support necessary to receive the pressure of the sealing implements.

It will further be noted that the entire peripheral portion of the base is or rectangular construction, formed by the base rails 26. and 25 and by the bases of the end walls. Furthermore, the transverse bar 2 has its base also at the lowermost level of the base rails and end walls. The underside of the tray thus consists of a rectangu lar peripheral wall with an intermediate transverse bar connecting the opposite longitudinal walls. This not only provides a stable structure which will resist a rolling tendency during the wrapping operation, but is also adapted to engage the conventional triggers of wrapping machines at any portion along the longitudinal extent of the tray.

practicing same, except insofar as such limitations are specified in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a moulded container tray of the type adapted to constitute part of a wrapped housing for a row of selected fruit units, two opposite upright end walls, a pair of laterally opposite longitudinally extending rails joined to said end the tray on the outer surface of said central portion.

2. In a moulded container tray of the type adapted to constitute part of a wrapped housing for a row of selected fruit units, the combinacentral portion converging upwardly and the lower lateral edges thereof converging downwardly. 

